Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court directed a Bonalu festival organiser on Thursday to deposit Rs 50,000 with the GHMC to remove arches which it had illegally set up on the roads.
The court came down heavily on organisers for setting up arches on public roads, hoardings and flex boards which encroach on pavements and road margins and damage the roads. Justice P. Naveen Rao also pulled up the GHMC for not taking action.
Justice Naveen Rao was dealing with a petition by B. Suresh Kumar of Kache-guda against the inaction of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in removing unauthorised arches which were erected in public places at Chappal Bazaar by private persons for the Bonalu festival.
The judge said that the GHMC had remained a mere spectator when rules and regulations were being violated, and asked whether officials were aware of the laws which can be enforced against the defacement of public property.
The court directed the president of the Bujjili Mahankali Temple Young-men Association to deposit `50,000 within three days for setting up unauthorised arches by digging up public roads and occupying more than five feet of road on either side.
The court directed the association to deposit `1 lakh but on the request of its counsel, it halved the amount. Justice Naveen Rao clarified that it was not a caution deposit.
Mr Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy, counsel for petitioner Suresh Kumar, said that in spite of court orders, organisers of Bonalu and other events were erecting huge arches on the roads which were hampering the movement of traffic and resulting in accidents and damaging the roads.
Reacting to the submissions of the association that they had been conducting the Bonalu festival for 50 years without causing any disturbance, the court asked they why could not celebrate the festival without erecting flexis and arches.
“Festivals can be celebrated by performing pujas with utmost devotion,” Justice Naveen Rao said.
Reminding the GHMC of its authority to take action against those who violate rules, the court directed the civic authorities to submit a report.
